Explore every episode of the podcast Joe Carlsmith Audio

My take on slowing down AI. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2026/03/19/on-restraining-ai-development-for-the-sake-of-safety/

AIs will face philosophical questions humans can't answer for them. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2026/01/29/building-ais-that-do-human-like-philosophy/

AIs with alien motivations can still follow instructions safely on the inputs that matter. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/11/12/how-human-like-do-safe-ai-motivations-need-to-be/

On a career move, and on AI-safety-focused people working at AI companies. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/11/03/leaving-open-philanthropy-going-to-anthropic/

On boxing AIs, and on making deals with them. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/09/29/controlling-the-options-ais-can-pursue

A four-step picture. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/08/18/giving-ais-safe-motivations

On seeing and not seeing souls. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/05/21/the-stakes-of-ai-moral-status/

It's really important; we've got a real shot; there are a ton of ways to fail. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/04/30/can-we-safely-automate-alignment-research/. 

There's also a video and transcript of a talk I gave on this topic here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/04/30/video-and-transcript-of-talk-on-automating-alignment-research/

We should try extremely hard to use AI labor to help address the alignment problem. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/03/14/ai-for-ai-safety

On the structure of the path to safe superintelligence, and some possible milestones along the way. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/paths-and-waystations-in-ai-safety

Examining the conditions required for rogue AI behavior. Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/when-should-we-worry-about-ai-power

Also: to avoid it? Handle it? Solve it forever? Solve it completely?

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/what-is-it-to-solve-the-alignment

Introduction to a series of essays about paths to safe and useful superintelligence. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/p/how-do-we-solve-the-alignment-problem

When the line pulls at your hand. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2025/01/28/fake-thinking-and-real-thinking/. 

What can we learn from recent empirical demonstrations of scheming in frontier models? Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/12/18/takes-on-alignment-faking-in-large-language-models/

Extended audio from my conversation with Dwarkesh Patel. This part focuses on the basic story about AI takeover. Transcript available on my website here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/09/30/part-2-ai-takeover-extended-audio-transcript-from-my-conversation-with-dwarkesh-patel

Extended audio from my conversation with Dwarkesh Patel. This part focuses on my series "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." Transcript available on my website here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/09/30/part-1-otherness-extended-audio-transcript-from-my-conversation-with-dwarkesh-patel/

This is the introduction and summary for my series "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Second half of the full audio for my series on how agents with different values should relate to one another, and on the ethics of seeking and sharing power. 

First half here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/15266490-first-half-of-full-audio-for-otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

PDF of the full series here: https://jc.gatspress.com/pdf/otherness_full.pdf
Summary of the series here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

First half of the full audio for my series on how agents with different values should relate to one another, and on the ethics of seeking and sharing power. 

Second half here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/15272132-second-half-of-full-audio-for-otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

PDF of the full series here: https://jc.gatspress.com/pdf/otherness_full.pdf
Summary of the series here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Garden, campfire, healing water.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/06/18/loving-a-world-you-dont-trust

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Examining a certain kind of meaning-laden receptivity to the world.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/03/25/on-attunement

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

Examining a philosophical vibe that I think contrasts in interesting ways with "deep atheism."

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/03/21/on-green

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

What does it take to avoid tyranny towards to the future?

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/18/on-the-abolition-of-man

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

Let's be the sort of species that aliens wouldn't fear the way we fear paperclippers.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/16/being-nicer-than-clippy/

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief text summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

(Though: note that I haven't put the summary post on the podcast yet.)

Who isn't a paperclipper?

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/11/an-even-deeper-atheism

This essay is part of a series I'm calling "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping that individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

Examining Robin Hanson's critique of the AI risk discourse.

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/09/does-ai-risk-other-the-ais

This essay is part of a series of essays called "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping the individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

On the connection between deep atheism and seeking control. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/08/when-yang-goes-wrong

This essay is part of a series of essays called "Otherness and control in the age of AGI." I'm hoping the individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays that have been released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

On a certain kind of fundamental mistrust towards Nature. 

Text version here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/04/deep-atheism-and-ai-risk

This is the second essay in my series “Otherness and control in the age of AGI. I’m hoping that the individual essays can be read fairly well on their own, but see here for brief summaries of the essays released thus far: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi

AIs as fellow creatures. And on getting eaten. 

Link: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/gentleness-and-the-artificial-other

This is the first essay in a series of essays that I’m calling “Otherness and control in the age of AGI.” See here for more about the series as a whole: https://joecarlsmith.com/2024/01/02/otherness-and-control-in-the-age-of-agi.

What is altruism towards a paperclipper? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind at once? 

(This is a recording of an essay originally published in 2021. Text here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2021/07/19/in-search-of-benevolence-or-what-should-you-get-clippy-for-christmas)

This is section 2.3.1.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 5 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.4.3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is sections 2.2.4.1-2.2.4.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 4.4 through 4.7 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 4.3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is sections 4.1 and 4.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.3.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 6 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.3.1.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.3 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.2.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 2.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 1.5 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is sections 1.3-1.4 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 1.2 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power

This is section 1.1 of my report “Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?” 

Text of the report here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.08379
 
Summary of the report here: https://joecarlsmith.com/2023/11/15/new-report-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power
 
Audio summary here: https://joecarlsmithaudio.buzzsprout.com/2034731/13969977-introduction-and-summary-of-scheming-ais-will-ais-fake-alignment-during-training-in-order-to-get-power